Findings on how children spend their free time and ‘Generation Isolation’

  • A study from youth charity OnSide into the social lives of 11- to 18-year-olds shows that young people’s time outside school is increasingly becoming home-based.
  • One in five said that they spend most of their free time alone.
  • Only 13% indicated that they spend most of their time with their friends.
  • OnSide wants every young person to have access to a high-quality youth club.
  • Their chief executive said ‘Too many young people are living isolated lives, increasingly withdrawing into their bedrooms without support from trusted adults.’
  • To read more, go to the Metro website.

Report finds boys need to talk more about feelings and fight inequality

  • The Global Boyhood Initiative, originally based in the US has been launched in the UK.
  • It aims to encourage boys to talk about their feelings and speak out against inequality.
  • Their report, The State of UK boys, has been published to mark the launch of the initiative.
  • The report found that, even despite ideas of gender and boyhood becoming more fluid, traditional notions of masculinity still dominate.
  • In addition to this, children understand “real violence” as involving men.
  • For more on this, go to the Guardian’s website.

Coroner has seen ‘no evidence’ Archie Battersbee took part in online challenge

  • A coroner has seen no evidence that Archie Battersbee was taking part in an online
  • Archie’s life support was withdrawn in August, months after he was found unconscious in his home.
  • An inquest heard that police have found messages on the 12-year-old’s phone which reflected “very low mood”.
  • The Detective Inspector of Essex Police found no photographs or videos to suggest Archie was taking part in any online challenge.
  • To find out more, go to the Independent’s website.